Preparation of building material for solid freeform fabrication

Abstract

A method suitable for solid freeform fabrication is disclosed. The method comprises mixing respective amounts of a plurality of materials such as to provide a building material characterized by at least one attribute, and using the building material for fabricating a three-dimensional object.

1 . A method of solid free form fabrication of an object, comprising:
 (a) mixing respective amounts of a plurality of materials such as to provide a building material characterized by at least one predetermined attribute of combination; and   (b) using said building material for fabricating a three-dimensional object;   said steps (a) and (b) being performed in the same facility.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (b) is performed less than 24 hours after said step (a). 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said steps (a) and (b) are performed by the same individual or group of individuals. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said materials comprise a base material and at least one additive material being able to produce a predetermined attribute when mixed with said base material. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising employing at least one procedure selected from the group consisting of polymerization, UV curing, thermal curing, UV post-curing and thermal post-curing. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said building material is a UV curable composition. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said building material at least partially solidifies upon exposure to radiation selected from the group comprising electromagnetic radiation and electron beam radiation. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of said plurality of materials comprises meth/acrylic functional groups and another one of said plurality of materials comprises mercaptopriopionate functional groups. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of said plurality of materials comprises a component containing hydroxyl functional groups and another one of said plurality of materials comprises a component containing an isocyanate functional group. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said building material has a shelf life which is shorter than 200 days. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said building material has a shelf life which is shorter than the shelf life of each of said plurality of materials before mixing. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said using said building material for fabricating said three-dimensional object comprises loading said building material to a solid freeform fabrication apparatus having a user interface and utilizing said user interface for feeding information on said respective amounts and/or said at least one predetermined attribute of combination. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising calculating printing parameters according to said respective amounts and feeding information on said printing parameters to said user interface. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mixing comprises operating a preparation apparatus which comprises:
 an input unit, for inputting said at least one attribute;   a control unit, configured to transmit data pertaining to said amounts, said control unit being supplemented with an algorithm for determining said amounts;   a supply unit, operatively associated with reservoirs of said plurality of materials and being controllable by said control unit to supply a respective amount of each material according to said data; and   a container, configured for receiving said plurality of materials.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said preparation apparatus comprises a mixer, configured for receiving said plurality of materials and for mixing said materials. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mixing comprises adding an additive material to a container containing a base material, followed by shaking the container. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said adding said additive comprises using a syringe to inject said additive into said container. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said container is loaded into a solid freeform fabrication apparatus. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said container comprises a computer readable and/or writeable medium mounted on said container and being capable of storing respective amounts and/or at least one attribute of the materials it contains, and said solid freeform apparatus comprises a reading and/or writing functionality configured to read and/or write data from said computer readable medium. 
   
   
       20 . Apparatus for preparing a building material for solid freeform fabrication, the apparatus comprising:
 an input unit, for inputting at least one attribute of the building material;   a control unit, configured to transmit data pertaining to respective amounts of a plurality of different materials according to said at least one attribute, said control unit being supplemented with an algorithm for determining said amounts;   a supply unit, operatively associated with reservoirs of said plurality of materials and being controllable by said control unit to supply a respective amount of materials according to said data; and   a container, configured for receiving said plurality of materials.   
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said materials comprise a base modeling material and a plurality of additive materials, each additive being able to produce at least one attribute when mixed with said base modeling material. 
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a mixer, configured for receiving said materials and for mixing said materials thereby to provide a building material characterized by said at least one attribute. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein said mixer is external to said apparatus and is configured for supplying said container with building material. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a computer readable and/or writeable medium mounted on said container and being capable of storing said respective amounts and/or said at least one attribute and/or printing parameters of the materials received. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising at least one attribute measuring device, configured for measuring at least one attribute of a material. 
   
   
       26 . A system for solid freeform fabrication, comprising a preparation apparatus, for preparing a building material characterized by at least one attribute, and a solid freeform fabrication apparatus, for fabricating a three-dimensional object using said building material, wherein said preparation apparatus is designed and constructed for mixing respective amounts of a plurality of materials according to said at least one attribute, such as to provide said building material. 
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said plurality of materials comprises a base modeling material and a plurality of additive materials able to produce a desired attribute in the base modeling material when the materials are mixed. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said preparation apparatus comprises:
 an input unit, for inputting said at least one attribute;   a control unit, configured to transmit data pertaining to said amounts, said control unit being supplemented with an algorithm for determining said amounts;   a supply unit, operatively associated with reservoirs of said plurality of materials and being controllable by said control unit to supply a respective amount of each material according to said data; and   a mixer, configured for receiving said plurality of materials and for mixing said materials thereby to provide said building material.   
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein said supply unit comprises:
 a plurality of conduits, each being in fluid communication with a reservoir of one material, and having a flow control device controllable by said control unit to enable and disable flow of material in said conduit;   a container for receiving materials flowing in said plurality of conduits; and   at least one amount-measuring device, designed and constructed to measure amounts of materials flowing in said plurality of conduits.   
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said preparation apparatus is operable to mix said respective amounts of said plurality of materials, generally contemporaneously with said fabricating of said three-dimensional object. 
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein said preparation apparatus further comprises a computer readable medium mounted on said container and being capable of storing said respective amounts and/or said at least one attribute. 
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein said solid freeform fabrication apparatus comprises a reading and/or writing functionality configured to read and/or write data from said computer readable medium.